Is it permitted to instruct a non-Jew to move a candle lit on Shabbat, and is the custom of doing so problematic?
Synopsis
The Rema records the Ashkenazi custom of having a non-Jew move the candle. He rules there is no problem of amira l'akum (instructing a non-Jew to perform a forbidden act) because the custom itself is tantamount to a prior stipulation. The Magen Avraham distinguishes cases where the non-Jew is needed for his own purposes vs. solely for the Jew's benefit. The Mishnah Berurah notes a special case involving a yahrtzeit candle.
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Discussion
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